Sharni was repeatedly being told she was at the top of the waiting list (Image: Irwin Mitchell© SWNS)
A 31 year old mum-of-two, has been diagnosed with breast cancer following an agonising 18-month wait for preventative . Diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene in 2018, which heightens the risk of , Sharni Marks, was assured by Russells Hall in Dudley, West Mids, that a double mastectomy would significantly reduce her chances of developing the disease.
Despite being placed on the waiting list in August 2022 and repeatedly being told she was at the top, it wasn’t until March 2024 that she finally received the surgery. Tragically, a post-operative check revealed a mass in the removed tissue, confirming grade-three breast cancer, a type more prevalent among those with BRCA mutations. The Dudley Group Foundation Trust has since issued an apology for the delay.
Amidst chemotherapy treatment, Sharni reflected: “When I was told I was at high risk of getting breast cancer, I thought being under the care of breast surgeons would be the best thing for me. After starting our family, I was added onto the waiting list for surgery. Months went by and I was still on the waiting list. It got to the point where I would call often to seek an update. It felt like it got to the stage where I knew what I was going to be told each time before I called.”
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has since issued an apology for the delay (Image: Irwin Mitchell© SWNS)
“To finally undergo a double preventative mastectomy was a relief to start with. But that turned to devastation when I was told I’d developed cancer. It was a huge decision to have a life-changing mastectomy. Sometimes it feels like I’ve gone through the physical trauma of surgery and the emotion of deciding to have surgery for nothing. Given what the Hospital Trust has told me it’s often hard not to think whether I wouldn’t have developed cancer if I’d have undergone surgery sooner.”
Sharni is battling severe side effects from her treatment, including sickness, hair loss, nail damage, and mouth ulcers. The treatments have also rendered her unable to conceive more children naturally.
Sharni described the last few months as “the hardest of my life” but is grateful to the surgeon who performed her mastectomy for helping to diagnose her cancer and everyone involved in her care since. She said: “While my treatment has been debilitating and has had a massive impact on my physical and mental health, everyone involved in my care around my diagnosis and treatment has been amazing.”
Detailing her concerns Sharni said: “The issue around waiting lists and the time it’s taking for people to have surgery is serious. It’s incredibly concerning that there could well be thousands of others who have been waiting for surgery and who have received a life-changing diagnosis. People may not think it will affect them, but it can affect anyone.”
The treatment has left her unable to have further children naturally which she says is “difficult to accept” (Image: Irwin Mitchell© SWNS)
A letter from the Hospital Trust to her GP in June 2024 stated that Sharni’s case had been discussed in a weekly meeting, where it was concluded that she had likely suffered harm due to the long wait for her mastectomy. The letter suggested that her cancer probably developed during the year-and-a-half wait for the procedure.
In a follow-up letter, the Trust offered its “sincere apologies” for the patient safety incident and launched an investigation to prevent similar incidents and drive improvements.
Sharni has now sought the help of medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care and secure the specialist treatment and rehabilitation she needs. Laura Ellacott, a medical negligence specialist at her firm, expressed deep concern for the welfare of Sharni and her family: “The last few months and coming to terms with the physical and psychological impact of her diagnosis has been incredibly difficult for Sharni and her family.”
She highlighted the distress the situation has caused, saying, “Understandably, Sharni has a number of concerns about her care and whether more could have been done to prevent her cancer developing. The first-hand account we’ve heard from her and the Hospital Trust’s own findings are worrying.”
Sharni is currently undergoing chemotherapy (Image: Irwin Mitchell© SWNS)
Ellacott also referenced the widespread pressures on the NHS, acknowledging that “While we recognise the NHS is under tremendous strain and waiting lists can be long, care delays can have a devastating impact.”
She added that the repercussions of treatment delays must never be overlooked: “Each case of a patient facing a wait for treatment isn’t a statistic but a human story of someone who has potentially been exposed to unnecessary suffering or harm.”
Emphasising the severe implications, she said, “Such incidents can have significant consequences for patients and families, including through a life-changing diagnosis or even death.”
To reaffirm her commitment to Sharni’s plight, Ellacott concluded, “We continue to support Sharni and are determined to help provide her with all the answers she deserves and access to the specialist care she needs.”
The hospital trust had been approached for comment.